בס”ד
By Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron
This parsha discusses the offerings in the Beit Hamikdash, considered a symbol of redemption, and is also the first parsha this year within the redemptive month of Nisan. In this redemptive painting, emphasizing Hashem as our redeemer in the verse below, we see many themes of redemption in the images as well. Of course there are the Temple, the crowned human/angelic Messianic figure blowing a shofar – the instrument of redemption, along with the Menora [also seven lights upon the Temple] – a symbol of the Holy Presence according to our Sages, apparently symbolizing the return of the Holy Presence to Jerusalem. We also see seven [“the special number”] hasidim/”righteous figures” in dancing thanksgiving/praying/playing an instrument. We also see a pair of birds facing each other which may hint to a theme of peace and harmony – “facing each other” – between the masculine and feminine. These ideas can be associated to the redemptive blessings in the Amida prayer found together – the blessings for the prosperity of the righteous, the blessing for the building of Jerusalem/Temple, the blessing for Mashiach, the blessing for the answering of prayers, the blessing for the return of the Holy Presence to Zion, the blessing of thnksgiving, and the blessing for peace.
Going back to the dancing hasidim we see one carrying balls of light, corresponding to hesed, since the first day of Creation when light was created, is associated to the sefira of hesed. We see one blowing a shofar – which seems associated to the sefira of gevura, since the Levites, who played instruments in the Temple, are associated to gevura. We see one carrying fruits associated to vegetation, a matter that was created on the third day of Creation, associated with tiferet. We see two Hasidim enjoined together which seem to hint to netzach and hod, sefirot which are considerd “enjoined together.” We see one carrying a staff which seems to hint to yesod, since a staff has a “vav” shape, and “vav” is a connecting letter, a quality of the yesod [in Kabbalistic sources there are other connections made between a staff and yesod such as the word “mateh”, but a discussion of these sources is out of the scope of our discussion here]. We see the seventh hasid crowned like a king which is an obvious connection to the sefira of malchut/kingship.
We see six yellow leaves to the right of the Temple and six to its left apparently hinting to the twelve tribes that ascend to the Temple. In addition leaves are a symbol of renewal in a tree and renewal is similar to the concept of hodesh [from the word hithadshut=renewal]/month, and there are twelve months in a year that were also a source of renewal in the Temple as seen in the special Musaf offering on Rosh Hodesh. The Arizal indeed divides the twelve months into six [winter] masculine months and six [summer] feminine months.
In the left tree we see seven fires, apparently signifying the ascent of the seven sparks that descended in the in the Kabbalistic teaching of the Breaking of Vessels that come to their renewal through the tree, a symbol of renewal.
Of course, Hebron, the Eternal Jewish City, itself is a symbol of renewal, and it is also an important trigger towards the building of the coming Beit Hamikdash. How so? By following in the footsteps of King David – just as King David first ruled in Hebron and actually through Hebron, according to the Arizal, he was able to pave the path to the building of the First Temple through his rule later in Jerusalem.